A Royal Setting: Romance & Royalty Done Well Because Jen Lilley & Dan Jeannotte Star

When you are someone like me – you are jaded AF when it comes to believing in the idea of love, fate, and well anything good coming from chaos. But then again, if you are someone like me you believe in them when you’re watching a movie or television show. Life is weird that way. But that’s how a good story and good acting can affect a person. I can get past the jaded part of me and embrace the part of me that wants to believe in the fairy tales that life can offer.

A Royal Setting is one of my favorite kind of movies – one where a dream comes true, one where passions are met, and one where fairy tales are a reality. It is also one where you can’t not smile, because it is what movies should be – an escape. Not to mention it stars Jen Lilley and Dan Jeannotte and I think I can speak for most when I say we’ve missed them.

Now, I am going to be the first to admit that I don’t know much about jewelry or stones (though I do love an emerald), so somethings in this movie are a loss to me. Fred though, definitely not a loss. He’s the best.

Ruby, played by Lilley, loves jewelry. She’s made a name for herself as someone who can restore jewels and that is why she is hired by Prince Luca (Jeannotte) to restore the crown jewels and design his crown challenging tradition. This complicates his relationship with his mother, the queen.

Prince Luca wants to do things differently. He wants to modernize. He wants the people of his country to feel like the palace is theirs also. Part of the reason that he is having jewels restored is that he would like to use social media aand for them to feel like the monarchy is a part of their world that isn’t bad.

One of the things I love about Hallmark movies is when they need to go to a foreign country, it is always picturesque. It’s mountains, hills, and everything is so green and gorgeous. The rules are always very different than the main character is used to. Normally, I would think that everything will follow a formula, but this one doesn’t.

And part of that is the return of Jen Lilley to Hallmark. It’s also that she’s in a movie with Dan Jeannotte. Jen Lilley and Dan Jeannotte are one of those on screen couples that you grow to appreciate and look forward to. You want them to be in more movies together. As a viewer, those couples are the couples that one gets excited over and will watch anything that they are in.

Through the entire movie, there are a lot of the quintessential moments – star crossed lovers, misunderstandings, secret feelings, and more. But it’s the comedy that Lilley and Jeannotte, as well as other members of the cast, that make this movie special. It’s the little things – like Lilley has her character never curtseying the same way, there is Fred (IYKYK) and Ruby’s interactions with him, Prince Luca and his delulu – it’s just an escape.

And it’s a funny escape.

There is a lot of drama and discourse, but I do believe that even when we know that drama will ensue and people will end up together, we need that in the movie. We need an escape that gives us some joy. Lilley and Jeannotte accomplish just that.

As does Fred. We can never forget about Fred.